Missing Chapter
by Minakoi6963
Summary: The actual rating I would give this story is 16 and up, same as the anime and manga. This fic follows the same basis of the original story adn fits into it as a missing chapter. it also has Humor, action, and seems to center around a certain, nonclique ro
1. Default Chapter

**__**

The Missing Chapter

By: Minakoi

( I would like to note that this is my first fanfic that I am putting on display for readers so please be kind. Also, this story takes place some time after episode 56 and before episode 79. Thank you)

Chapter 1: The Summoning

Within the safe confinements of his dark domain, Naraku sits in his silent corridors. Suffering from great frustration he gazes into the ancient mirror of his servant Kanna. Then smiles to himself with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

" I fail to see what you find so humorous_ Master_," Kagura sternly says from the back corner of the room. Her joy of seeing Naraku unable to overcome obstacles shines through in her tone. "Your petty tricks have proved to be a waste of time. How do you plan to torment that annoying Hanyu, InuYasha, and his companions now?"

"Humph. It seems that this Naraku has over looked something."

"Nani?!" Kagura whispers to herself with a look of surprise and confusion. She watches the visions of InuYasha and his friends walking through a forest focus on the majestic cat-like demon that traveled beside them.

(Mirror fads into the scenery of the woods) 

*Sigh* "Kagome, don't you sense a shikon shard around here at all?" InuYasha asks with a bored expression.

"Gomen. I don't sense anything." InuYasha immediately spins around to yell at her.

"If you don't sense anything then why are we traveling this way?!"

"Well we have to go in some direction," Sango enlightens him from the high perch of Kirara's back as they walk by.

"Besides, I heard that there is a village this way." Miroku says from behind Sango. "Perhaps there are some beautiful ladies there that will invite us into their homes."

The mood swiftly changes when a suddenly tense Sango knocks Miroku to the ground with the back of her fist.

"Gomen Houshi-sama. I forgot you were there. I can be so clumsy sometimes." Sango laughs with a forced smile.

"Sango's jealousy causes her to become more and more violent." Kagome whispers to InuYasha who seems to have been startled to the back of her bike.

"Jealousy? Why?"

"Sigh. Why are you so dense? I already told you, remember? Sango likes Miroku."

"Huh! You back on that? If she likes him then why does enjoy beaten the crap out of him?" 

"Because he brings it upon himself. Can't you relate?"

"What do ya mean by that?!"

"Never mind. Hey look." Kagome stops peddling her bike at the top of a small hill overlooking a small clear spot within the woods. Near it, within the trees, is a small spring. "It's so pretty. Why don't we stay here for awhile?" Sango drops down off of Kirara next to Kagome and is the first to reply.

"We've been travelling for a while now and it would be nice to take a bath." After a quick thought of that the two girls turn around and cast two evil stares at InuYasha and Miroku whom both cower at the look.

"Why do you always look at me like that?!" Inu barks at Kagome.

"Cause I know what kind of guy you are. Come on Sango, lets go set up a camp." Kagome jumps off her bike and lets it tip over with InuYasha still crouched on the back. With that, the girls stick their noses in the air and continue down the dirt path. InuYasha scrambles up off the ground to reclaim his dignity.

"Really, you guys have no class," Shippo lectures from beneath a blanket on Kirara's back where he had been sleeping.

"Feh! What would a dwarf rat like you know?" InuYasha growls. 

"More than you. Though that isn't **that** great of an accomplishment," Shippo teases. His insults are quickly silence with Inu's fist.

"Well it isn't very gentlemen-like to let the women do all the work," Miroku says as he passes the two of them. "Let's go. We should help." InuYasha sighs and follows Miroku next to Kirara.

(Angle moves to the branches of the trees behind them. Wind blows leaves by and reveals Kagura on branch. She watches them and her eyes become very determined. Angle changes to setting sun. )

"Alright," Kagome says to the guys as she and Sango finish tying up a sheet to separate the spring into two sides. " The left side is our side and the right side is yours. For your own safety stay on YOUR side." Miroku smiles a guilty smile and InuYasha grinds his teeth together.

"Feh! I have no intention of peeking on you," Inu snorts and turns away. Shippo hops up on Miroku's shoulder with a sad, hurt face.

"What about me. Must I suffer under the bad influences of being with InuYasha and Miroku?"

"Of course not. You can come with us," Kagome assures him, carrying him away from Miroku.

"Sigh,if only I were a child." he whispers to himself.

"Huh?"

"Oh, InuYasha. I was under the impression that you had left."

"Really."

"Mmmm. The water is perfect," Kagome giggles as she slips into the hot spring with a towel still wrapped around her. Looking up from the water she notices InuYasha behind the tree one end of the sheet is tied to. "Um, InuYasha. Not that it's a big concern or anything but do you ever take a bath?"

"NANI?!"

"Well, you've manage to 'accidentally' see me or fall into the water with me almost every time I take a bath but it's never been the other way around. I've never seen you go to bathe or anything." InuYasha turns a bright red and casts an evil glare over his shoulder at Kagome.

"Perhaps that's because I wish to avoid such situations you named." Kagome bits her lip with annoyance and then snorts at him.

"You can't sit there. It is in direct view of this side."

"I'm not watching you!"

"You might be tempted. You always are!"

"NA..I..FINE! I'll just go watch Miroku!" Noticing Kagome, Sango, and Shippo's shocked faces, InuYasha realizes that he must have said something wrong. (Of course that is what happens when you are thinking of one thing and talking about something else.) InuYasha looks over at Miroku in the other side of the spring. Miroku slowly sinks into the water until it is up to his nose and begins blowing bubbles. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"Wouldn't that be so typical?" Sango giggles to Kagome. " Miroku seems only to get the attention of men." The two girls burst into laughter as an extremely embarrassed Inu slips away out of view. InuYasha walks out onto the field ranting about humans' stupid sense of humor. He stops suddenly in is tracts and grips Tetsuaiga when he scents a strange yet familiar scent.

"Kagura!" InuYasha exclaims as he spots her standing on the branch of a tree on the other side of the clearing. She chuckles and swiftly brushes her fan through the air and sends forth a strong gust of wind that forces InuYasha backward through cracking trees and into the center of the spring along with the dividing sheet.

"I told you!" Kagome squeals. "What is your excuse now?!" Looking up from where InuYasha fell Kagome and Sango both see Miroku standing in waist deep water staring straight at them. Their instant reaction is screaming and ducking into the water. The sound of Kagura's laugh catches the attention of the group at the same time Inu surfaces.

"How entertaining you humans are," she chuckles.

"InuYasha do something!!!" Kagome screams.

"Alright, alright!"

"Now, now. Don't get so worked up over a friendly visit," Kagura laughs. " I came here as a messenger."

"Then why did you attack InuYasha?" Sango asks.

"Well aren't I allowed some fun? Any way, I'm looking for the demon by the name of Kirara."

"Kirara?" Sango questions. The small cat-like demon appears from beneath a bush and transforms into a graceful beast in a burst of flames.

"Aw, Kirara. My master Naraku would like to speak with you about some personal matters." Kirara nods her huge head and takes two steps forward towards Kagura.

"Kirara! No, what are you doing?!" Sango calls frantically. Trying to retrieve Kirara, she pulls herself on to the shore with a towel around her. A sudden wind from Kagura's fan sends her splashing back into the water. Kirara growls fiercely at the demon girl in response.

" I understand," Kagura nods. "Lets go." Kagura tosses her feather into the air boards it, and vanishes into the clouds. Kirara looks back at Sango before disappearing in pursuit of Kagura.


	2. 2Transformation

Chapter 2: Transformation

Breaking free from the clouds, Kirara gracefully lands at the entrance of Naraku dark palace. Kagura stands within the entrance, greeting Kirara with a mischievous smile. In return, Kirara casts a suspicious glance at her before entering. Once inside, Kagura escorts Kirara deep into the mansion to a shadowy room hidden behind a thin curtain. Standing before the doorway Kagura speaks to a dim figure on the other side.

"Naraku, your guest has arrived."

"Oh, let yourselves in then," a sly voice replies. Kagura lifts the curtain aside as Kirara enters. Kirara stands before Naraku who sits in the dark corner at the back of the room. Kagura moves the corner to left of Kirara. Kirara lowers her head in accompaniment with a low growl.

"Oh, did you come here to kill me?" Naraku chuckles. "You shouldn't be so hasty. Aren't you curious to why I summoned you here?" Kirara glares at the cold-hearted demon hidden by baboon skin. Naraku stands up with a cruel laugh and draws Kirara's attention to an antique mirror to her right with an extended hand. (Not Kanna's mirror) "This is the mirror of desire. It reflects the true feelings of whomever looks in it and reveals what they truly long for in life." Naraku chuckles again as Kirara faces the mirror with a look of distaste. Kagura watches the swirling mists within the mirror with twisted amusement. The room is tense with anticipation. Kagura's eyes light up and she lets out a chilling laugh.

"Really, I thought you'd have more **EXOTIC** tastes. You could do so much better. Ah ha ha ha ha," she crows. Kirara growls, bearing her ferocious teeth as she takes a treading step towards Naraku.

"Ho, you are angered by this child?" Naraku teases. Kirara looks back at the mirror out of the corner of her eye. Within the glass window of the ancient artifact stands an image with identical resemblance to InuYasha. Kirara roars with rage and crouches forward as preparation for a fatal strike. "Do you wish to die before the vision is completed?" Naraku taunts. Kirara jerks her head around for a clear view of the mirror. Behind the InuYasha within the mirror a beast with Kirara's appearance emerges from the shadows. She rubs up against InuYasha who wraps his arms around her neck. Kirara watches with wide eyes as the reflection of herself nuzzles InuYasha's smiling face. The real Kirara lies down before the mirror as her muscles give away and she moans deep in her throat. The image of her in the mirror lifts her head up to look into the golden eyes of the one she secretly longs for. She moves up to nuzzle his face again and her face slowly changes into the face of a beautiful young woman as her lips meet his. Seeing this, Kirara throws her head back with a loud cry that causes the images to disappear into mist again.

"Does it hurt that much to have your heart's secrets unveiled? Naraku chuckles. Kagura leaves the room with a straight face and deep thoughts. "Oh, this pains you too?" Naraku whispers to himself. "Hmph, how weak." He then turns back to Kirara who lays limp on the floor. He removes a Shikon shard from beneath his baboon skin and holds it out before him. It turns black in his hand and levitates before him. "Go then." The shard flies over to Kirara and levitates in front of her. When she does not respond, it enters into the black diamond on her forehead. A luminous red glow surrounds her and lifts her from the floor as her beast-like body morphs into a human figure. The light around her dims to a pink gleam and places her on her knees before vanishing.

Kirara looks up from the ground to adjust to the dim lighting that seems even worse now. After gaining eyesight again she attempts to move and realizes that her bone structure is uncomfortable with the movement she is accustom to. It is now that she notices that her paw is missing and has been replaced with a human hand. She sits up to get a better view of her thin fingers tattooed black and tipped with long black claws, the ebony stripe that scars the back of her hand, and her soft palm. She lifts her other hand and examines it with the same admiration. But this hand is different. Between two of her fingers is a strand of thick, silky, black hair. She follows the path of the hair with the hand she first discovered and finds that it runs beside the soft skin of her face. She runs her fingers down the side of her face and across her scarlet red lips. The chill of her fingertip makes her gasp.

Naraku continues to watch the girl in the silence of his corner. Kirara carefully moves her fingers across her dull human teeth and over her small fangs that still remain.

She then looks down at her bare female body.

"So," Naraku says to break the silence. " Do you like your new body?" Kirara quickly looks up to the startling voice of someone else. Up until now she had forgotten that she is not alone.

"H-Hai," She says, stunned that her voice comes out as fluent Japanese instead of a grunt. Naraku snaps his fingers and Kanna enters the room with a white kimono folded in the arms. She approaches Kirara and proceeds to help her stand and dress herself. Kirara struggles to stand upright and upon standing realizes that one of her tails still remains and that her kimono and a convenient hole cut in the appropriate place for it. Seeing that one of her tails hasn't vanished, she curiously searches the top of her head with her hands. As she expects, her cat-like ears remain perched upon her crown. Kanna holds Kirara's garments up to her. Once dressed, Kirara looks down at the gorgeous white dress she fits into so perfectly that she couldn't ever where in her original form. She pulls the pale purple sash tight around her slender waist. 

"Your shoes." Kanna says, holding out two sandals for Kirara to put on.

"A-Arigato." She reaches down to get them and slips them on. She takes a moment to examine her dainty human feet. She counts her ten toes and smiles. The front of each foot is tattooed black with a black stripe before it on the top of the foot. Her unique markings distinguish her from normal humans. She looks up to see Kanna handing her a white hair ribbon. It reminds her of the red ribbon Sango uses. She remembers that she just abandoned her friends earlier and has to get back to them. She takes the ribbon and loosely ties it in her hair like Sango does. She pulls her hair over her shoulder to admire it for a second more before she leaves. 

"Kagura will take you back." Naraku tells her, never loosing the manipulative tone in his voice that makes everyone so uneasy. Kirara glares at him with a fearful look and then stumbles a few steps in an attempt to walk. She finds the length of her clothing an annoyance and promptly tears the cloth above her knees. She finds her freedom of movement comforting and shreds the large sleeves of her dress to allow more freedom. Now satisfied with her attire, she runs out of the room. 

"Is it wise to play with them like this?" Kanna asks with a cold, emotionless attitude. Naraku just chuckles.

Kirara pants as she runs down the halls. "_Running on two legs isn't so hard_," she thinks to herself. She stops at the entrance to catch her breath.

"Oi, hurry it up." Kagura orders from the courtyard. She stands on her giant feather waiting for her human passenger, Kirara, too aboard. Kirara can't help but to smile thinking of what her friends will think of her now.


	3. NO WAY

Chapter 3: NO WAY!

"Come on already," InuYasha whines. "Aren't you curious as to what that bastard Naraku is up to now?"

"Well, go find Kirara then!" Kagome shouts from the spring water where she and Sango nervously crouch as low as they can to avoid being seen by their male companions. Miroku is in a relatively similar situation.

"If I could I would have left you all along time ago," InuYasha states. He gazes up at the sky in the direction if Kirara's departure. " Kagura and Kirara's trail is too high. It is impossible to track them." He then hears the murmurs of bickering behind him and spins around only to realize that he is being ignored.

"You get out first! It is indecent for us to expose ourselves," Kagome yells at Miroku.

"Ho, As a gentleman I practice chivalry. I insist, ladies first." Miroku says calmly.

"CHIVALRY!?! Your perversion becomes even more twisted each day!" Sango yells back. Miroku sighs in defeat.

"Alright then," he says as he begins to pull himself out of the water. Sango and Kagome freeze with terrified faces.

"NOOOOO!! DON'T GET OUT!!!! AHHHH!" Kagome screams, flailing her arms in the air. Sango quickly covers her eyes and shrieks. Miroku sinks back into the water.

"You girls stop fooling around!" InuYasha barks. "Hurry up and get dressed. It's not like you have anything to hide!" The girls flash very offended glares at InuYasha. Both of them look thoroughly pissed.

"And what is THAT suppose to mean?!!" Kagome roars. InuYasha strikes an innocent face as he tries to recall what he just said. Then, realizing the misunderstanding in his remark, he seeks a little help from Miroku.

"That's not what I meant! I meant that it's nothing **we** haven't seen before!"

"InuYasha is a peeper too?!!" Sango asks.

"Nani?! I am not!"

"InuYasha! Why must you be so inconsiderate?!" Kagome screams. InuYasha steps backwards and looks at Miroku out of the corner of his eye for support.

"Don't try to drag me into this." Miroku whispers in response to InuYasha's glance.

"Fine!" InuYasha growls. He got himself into this mess and he is determined to get himself out. "I have much more important things to do than spy on naked girls!"

"Oh, like spying on MIROKU!" Kagome hisses back. Sango joins in for moral support on Kagome's behalf. As they continue their argument that seems to have switched to an issue involving a 'relationship' between InuYasha and Miroku, Shippo hops over to Miroku.

"Does this conversation cause a discomfort Miroku?" he asks. Miroku nods. "Then why don't you say anything?"

"Then I will only become fuel to the fire."

"Oo, that is very wise, Miroku." Miroku nods again. The feud behind them has now become a full-fledged water war. The girls throw up waves of water at InuYasha who responds by childishly kicking water back at them and cursing in a not-so-childish manner.

A little ways up north of the springs, Kagura steers her giant feather down to just above the earth's surface before it poofs back to its original size.

"I will let you off here. It is more convenient for me this way," Kagura tells Kirara before tossing the feather upwards again and vanishing. Kirara stands, gazing into the sky. For some unexplainable reason, the world seems more beautiful to her as a human. She smells the gentle scent of her friends and follows a dirt path in their direction. As she nears them she can hear the sounds of a quarrel in the water. 

"_What is this?_" Kirara mentally questions herself. "_All of a sudden I feel.. so… so_ _nervous. Everything is so different in this body_." Suddenly a horrifying thought enters her mind. " _What if… what if they are mad at me. This is probably one of Naraku's tricks and I am falling right into his plan. They will be so mad if they find out that I didn't even try to resist this. If something bad happens to them, it will be my entire fault. If something_ _happens to InuYasha… I will never be able to forgive myself!"_ Kirara trips and breaks one of her sandals. "_I am leading them right into a trap!"_ She scrambles to her feet and runs in the opposite direction of the springs. The loose sandal disappears under the dust of the road. Kirara continues to run until she is out of breath. She leans against a tree for support.

_"My running distance is limited in this form,"_ she thinks to herself. She falls to the ground and weeps out loud. "I'm so … STUPID!"

At the spring, InuYasha detects the scent of their missing friend. He begins sniffing the air to find the exact location of the smell. Before he can identify the direction Kagome pelts him in the back of the head with a rock.

"What the hell are you doing?!!" He barks at her.

"Winning the war!" She triumphantly shouts. InuYasha continues to trace the scent and follow it. The girls watch him disappear up the road with a fully clothed Miroku and Shippo behind him. They realize that while they were "winning the war" Miroku had gotten dressed and was now proceeding with an unknown mission up the road. "WAIT!" Kagome cries as she and Sango quickly rush to dress themselves and catch up.

"What is it InuYasha?" Miroku asks as he follows behind InuYasha.

"It's Kirara's scent but… there is something strange about it." InuYasha crawls closer to the ground and sniffs. He bumps his nose against something in the dirt. Sitting up he uncovers the object. He picks up a broken sandal and sniffs it. "It has her scent on it and also…" he sniffs again and with a cold tone completes his statement, "_Naraku_." 

"What did you find?" Sango calls to him as she and Kagome arrive. InuYasha doesn't reply and continues tracking. Miroku fills the girls in on the little information they have. Naturally Sango becomes very concerned and takes her place beside InuYasha as a lookout while he concentrates on smells.

"It's this way," InuYasha instructs.

Kirara huddles close to the tree as the familiar voices approach. "_Why? I don't_ _understand all these emotions. They were so much more simple in my other form."_ She thinks to herself. She can now smell them coming and seeks refuge behind a nearby bush.

"There." InuYasha says, pointing to a bush ahead of them. Kirara begins shaking and can't understand why. She hears the footsteps come closer. "Oi, you there! Come out!" InuYasha orders. Kirara tries to move but she can't. The bush begins to quiver as a result of her shaking. She tries to speak but her voice only comes out as a squeak. "I said, come out NOW!" InuYasha demands and tears the bush apart with a swipe of his claws.

Kirara covers her head with her arms to shield herself from the crumbling remains of the bush.

Everyone shares the same shocked expression except InuYasha who hasn't quite figured out what is going on.

"Hey, girl! Where is…huh?" InuYasha stares puzzled. He moves really close to get a good look at this girl. Their noses are almost touching when he sniffs twice and she in return, sniffs twice. "Kirara?"

"H-hai?" At this moment everyone simultaneously jumps back with the same response;

"NO WAY!" Kirara could only sit, wide-eyed and motionless. Shippo hops over and looks up at Kirara's face.

"Kirara? Are you…human?"

"But she still has her ears and tail," Kagome points out.

"She took on a human form, but.. She's still a full youkai," Sango informs Kagome and Shippo.

"But.. how?" Miroku questions. Kirara's ears press flat against her head with shame.

"Naraku." She says in nearly a whisper.

"Naraku!?" InuYasha shouts. He grabs Kirara by the collar of her dress and lifts her before him. "Did you make some kind of deal with him for this?!" He yells at her. His furious expression instantaneously changes to a surprised face when he sees how shaken and terrified Kirara's human face is. It is very strange that in this instant InuYasha focuses on Kirara's eyes. When she was a saber-toothed fire cat, her eyes were entirely red. Now her irises are a deep burgundy. It is also strange that in this instant InuYasha notices how beautiful Kirara's eyes are. She has eyes that had a mature appearance of a woman who has endured much in her life. He is suddenly reminded of Kikyo. She had similar eyes except they are very cold and Kirara's are much gentler. Not only her eyes but everything about her in particular seems so gentle and beautiful. In the realization of how hostile he was being to her he puts her down and steps back. 

(Kirara has been alive for a very long time in human years. Most demons have a life expectancy far longer than any human could ever imagine. Aside from this, Kirara appears the age of a 19-year-old human. So let's set up the age differences. Kagome is 15.Miroku is around 21 while Sango is about 18. Considering that InuYasha did not age while he was sealed he would be somewhere in between 17-20 in demon years. I perfer to think of him as 17. Of course it is harder to calculate a Hanyou's age than a human or youkai. As for Kikyo we will assume she was in the same range as InuYasha and perhaps older than him. I prefer 19. That leaves Shippo at the age of around 6. The real hard ones are Naraku and his detachments. Technically, Kagura and her siblings haven't even been alive for a year but their appearance of age is left for you to determine. ) 

"InuYasha?" Kagome addresses him with concern.

"Gomen," Kirara says aloud to distract everyone's attention away from InuYasha. It is obvious to her that something is unsettling to InuYasha concerning this situation. 

"Why?" Kagome asks.

"I made you all worry." She stands up. "I apologize. Also, I am unable to explain to you why this has happened. If you don't mind, I would like very much to return to camp." Kirara walks past everyone with a saddened face. They decide that it is a good idea to return to the camp.


	4. OkayWierd

Chapter 4: Okay, Weird 

Kirara arrives at the camp first and lets out a sigh that she has been holding in for awhile now. Soon everyone will join her. They aren't very far behind her and she can easily hear the uneasy silence that travels with them. Miroku is the first to speak when they reach the camp.

"It would be best to build a strong fire." He suggests. 

"Do you think Naraku will attack again tonight?" Sango asks, knowing the pointlessness of her question. Everyone just shrugs except for Kirara who has already curled up by a nearby tree. Miroku finally gets the fire started and the light flickers around the campground. Sango sees Kirara curled by the tree and takes a blanket to her.

"It's kind of chilly tonight," she says smiling. "Here."

"Why? I have never used a blanket before." Kirara states. Sango frowns lightly but enough for Kirara to notice. "Gomen Sango-chan, we're still partners aren't we?" Kirara's question catches Sango off guard.

"Nani? Why do you ask something so strange?" Kirara looks up, very confused. "Of course we are. You are always there for me and I will always be there for you. I'll just have to do a lot more walking now." Sango smiles and laughs to herself. She leaves Kirara with the blanket and wishes her a goodnight. Kirara snuggles up in the blanket and surveys the camp with her eyes. Kagome lays with her eyes closed with an already-asleep shippo by her side. On the right side of the fire Miroku sleeps while sitting up in an on-guard position. He didn't usually sleep like that so Kirara figures it is because of the recent events that he is more alert. Sango is bedded down on the opposite side of the fire within a safe distance of the monk. Kirara is aware that Sango will use all precautions with him while she is trying to sleep. Inu Yasha sleeps upright against a tree that seems to be on the opposite side of camp than Kirara's tree. She doesn't take this to mind though.

Inu Yasha sits and recaps the day's events in his mind. He rests on the boundary between reality and unconsciousness. The part of his mind that remains awake senses the presence of someone close by. Gentle pressure on his arm and side gradually pulls him out of an unbalanced sleep. He looks down to see the black crown of a familiar young girl. 

"Wh..what are you doing?!" Inu Yasha asks with an uncertain tone. He feels his cheeks grow hot. Kirara looks up with a dreamy gaze.

"What's wrong?" She asks. He quickly pulls himself away from her and sits, staring at her with a red face.

"What are you doing over here so late?!" He whispers huskily. Everyone else sleeps soundly without any signs of disturbance.

"I don't understand," Kirara says. She looks at him directly with an innocent face. " I always sleep by your side." Inu Yasha looks dumbfound. He thinks about it for a moment and realizes the truth in Kirara's words. When she was a little cat she almost always curled up near him unless she felt the need to stay with Sango. She would even sleep in his lap on some occasions. When he had been injured in battle she would stay in her saber-tooth form and curl up around him so he could sleep easier. She watched over him and protected him when he was weak. 

He realizes that not only did she watch out for him at night but in battle too. She watched over everyone else while he fought so he could concentrate. It is true that she is Sango's loyal partner and follows Sango's orders to the fullest of her abilities, but she is also his guardian of sorts. He has never had a problem with this before but now it is different. Before she was a pet-like demon and now she is a beautiful young woman. 

"B-but, you can't sleep near me now." He stutters. He nervously looks at the others and specifically looks at Kagome. He gulps. "It's always my luck that she'll wake up at the wrong moment and I'll get sat!" Kirara looks at Kagome and then Inu Yasha. She feels almost guilty but doesn't completely understand why. She had seen how Kagome reacts if Inu Yasha is with Kikyo or if he mentions her name. But it is different with her and InuYasha. She looks at her new body and determines that it is responsible for this.

"Wakarimasu," She whispers and stands up to return to her original sleeping place. _"I wanted this body to get closer to him_," she thinks to herself. "_Now I am only pushing_ _him away." _She tries to muffle her sniffles in her blanket.

Again in the shadows, Naraku listens to Kirara's soft cries in his chamber. Her image fades on Kanna's mirror.

"So, _Master_," Kagura mocks from the doorway. "I thought you were going to manipulate their 'romance', but it looks as if you have destroyed it. Are you growing accustom to failure?" She cackles distastefully like Naraku usually does. He glares at her.

"Prehaps this Naraku should test his creation's skills in battle."

"I have been meaning to ask you." Kagura says coldly. "Are there more that one of you or are you trying to hold on to your identity because you are falling apart into so many more advanced demons. The third person thing is really juvenile." She gives him a twisted smile and turns to leave the room.

"Kagura," Naraku calls while a red orb forms in his palm. She stops but does not respond. " You need to learn some respect." He says and grips the orb. Kagura grabs at her heart and falls to the ground gasping for air. "I am your master after all."

"H-hai!" Kagura chokes out before collapsing completely. 


	5. Growing Accustom

Chapter 5: Growing Accustom

The camp begins to stir early in the morning. Kirara seems to still be asleep. Shippo bounds over to the blanket near the tree.

"Kirara, wake up. Don't you want some breakfast?" he asks. Everyone sits around the dead fire eating various breakfast items from Kagome's world. Kirara struggles against consciousness as daylight seeps under the blanket, which she has pulled over her head. Giving up, she stretches out into the day and shakes herself wildly on all fours. She glances at the shocked faces around the camp with sleepy eyes.

"KIRARA!?" Shippo squeals and jumps back " Ya-you're SHEDDING! Kirara looks down to see chunks of black hair scattered all around her. She makes an incomprehensible noise and collapses onto the ground, rolls over, sits straight up, and yawns. 

"Kirara," Kagome says. "Ano.. What happened to you?" Kirara stares with a dazed expression and reaches up to scratch her head. When she touches her hair she jerks awake with sudden realization of what has caused the disturbance of which she has been oblivious to.

"Eh.. ahhahahah," Kirara laughs nervously turning pink. " Gomen, I'm not used to long hair. It annoyed me in my sleep." Almost all of Kirara's hair is gone. Her bangs remain along with two long sections of hair on each side of her face. Her longest portions of hair reaches to her jawbone while all the rest of her hair is no longer than an inch and a half, the shorted 1/3 of an inch. The back of her neck is now bare. 

Kirara turns around to hide her face. In truth she had cried most of the night. Her long hair had stuck to her damp face and in a small fit of rage she had shredded it.

"Actually," Kagome says with a little cheerfulness in her voice. "It looks good." Kirara turns with an innocent face.

"You know," Sango adds with a smile. "She's right." Kirara smiles real big and reaches for some food and joyfully eats. Inu Yasha gives her a passing glance.

"_Strange," _He thinks. "_Her mood changes so dramatically."_

They pack up and begin walking down the dirt path. Kirara is overly happy this morning and skips along the path. She gets strange looks from her friends but on the inside they all find her behavior somewhat… adorable. Of course, Inu Yasha is the only one that won't admit this even to himself and distances himself ahead of the group. Then he stops. Everyone stops behind him except Kirara who is busily humming and dancing in little steps. She bumps into him before realizing everyone's abrupt pause. Inu Yasha tries to contain his annoyance. He has become extremely stressed over the past day. He spins around.

"Pay attention!" he growls. Kirara cowers a little. Inu Yasha breathes heavily trying to be tolerant. "Listen, if Naraku did this to you than you must know where he is." Kirara smiles and hops back, looking into Inu Yasha's eyes with sheer joy. She is overjoyed by the fact that she is still useful.

"Of course!" She squeals. "I know where his castle is." Everyone looks hopeful with smiles.

"Honto!?" Kagome chimes in. "Where?" Kirara turns to them with an even bigger smile.

"That way!" she points in the direction they came from. Everyone face faults. (I think that "face fault" is when they dramatically fall over. If not, please correct me.) 

Inu Yasha grumbles as they all march back the way they came. Kirara innocently follows in a manner that almost seems clueless.

"Inu Yasha, it's your own fault for not thinking of this before we started off this morning. Don't be so mad." Kagome says.

"SHUT UP!! I'M NOT MAD!!" he spins around. "And don't blame me for this! If you weren't so stupid you'd of thought of asking her earlier!"

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome says with a stern tone. Everyone including Inu Yasha knows what's coming. "OSWARI!!"

*WHAM* 'nuff said 

(Sometime later. The sun shines 12:00 overhead. They are approaching a town they had passed through the day before.)

"Kirara?" Sanga says. Kirara is occupying herself by observing the scenery. She looks at Sango with her now-trademark-wide-eyed-innocence. "I've been meaning to ask you. Um.. why did you leave with Kagura before even when called after you?" Sango's question portrays a hurtful undertone. Kirara stops walking and look sat her directly.

"I wanted to help. I just felt that my usefulness was limited, so I wanted to see if I could do more to assist you, to prove that this was a partnership. It is a partnership right?" Kirara smiles with reassurance as she completes her explanation. " I succeeded didn't I? Now I can lead you to Naraku's whereabouts." Sango smiles.

"Not only that," Miroku adds. " But now you can humble us with your beautifully graceful presence." As he says this, He reaches around Kirara's waist and lets his hand slide curiously down to her hip. In lightening fast motion, Sango removes her boomerang from her back and, holding fast to one end, hits him in the stomach with the bend in its center. Miroku slams into the tree beside them and falls limp with a groan/sigh.

"HENTAI!!" Sango growls. Kagome giggles with one of her demented faces, Shippo looks at Miroku with a bored expression from the basket on Kagome's bike, while Inu Yasha glances with little concern towards the situation. 

"Sango!" Kirara whines with watery eyes. "That's not fair!" Kirara's small outburst attracts everyone's attention except for Miroku who, at the moment, is looking kinda dead. 

"Eh…?"

"It's not fair that you hit him! I should be allowed to uh,, how do you say it?" Kirara pauses briefly. "To respond! That's it! I should be allowed to respond to him how I want!"

"HUH!?" is the response from everyone. Kirara rushes to Miroku's side.

"Miroku, gomen. It wasn't right of Sango-chan to hit you like that." Miroku looks up into Kirara's compassionate eyes.

"Kirara.." he whispers. "You are too kind." Kirara's loving face turns bright red with shock and embarrassment. She, along with Sango, Inu Yasha, and Kagome, sweatdrop as the angle of the scene focuses on Miroku's hand which seems to have been misplaced upon Kirara * ahem* behind. 

*SMACK! * 

Kirara's face is twisted in disgust as she sits breathing heavily with her hand still raised. Miroku lies on the ground with a brightly colored handprint across his face. Kirara's breathing stops suddenly and her expression instantly changes from indignity to amusement. She smiles brilliantly and laughs.

"I feel so much better all of a sudden." She turns to Sango and Kagome. "No wonder you hit him so much. It's so much fun!!" She squeals. The two girls giggle uneasily. Kirara laughs, hops up and skips over to Inu Yasha. He steps back as on act of caution towards Kirara's freakish happiness. He gulps a little as she smiles sweetly at him. They stay like this for about 10 seconds before the silence is broken..

*SMACK! *

Kagome and Sango stare in shock. Shippo cringes on Kagome's shoulder. Miroku, brought back to life by the sharp smack that filled the air, looks confused. Inu Yasha remains frozen in disbelief as a handprint begins to appear on his right cheek. Kirara looks at him with a look of stupidity and then looks questionably at her hand. She sniffs back some light tears, then spins around accusingly at Kagome and Sango.

"How come it didn't work this time!?" She shouted. " That wasn't fun at all!"

"Ano.." Kagome says. " You only hit him when he does something rude." 

"HOW ABOUT DON'T HIT ME AT ALL!!' Inu Yasha screams, enraged. He yells directly at Kirara. "YOU GOT SOME NERVE YOU LITTLE BI…"

*SMACK! *

Kirara's hit landed Inu Yasha on the ground. Kirara smiles. "It's back" she says. She kneels down beside Inu Yasha with a look of true sentiment. " Gomen Inu Yasha. I promise I won't hit you any more unless you really really REALLY deserve it." Then she wraps her arms around him in an apologetic hug. She nuzzles her face against his and purrs. Inu Yasha instantly tenses up and blushes. Kirara's ears straiten up and sniffs the air. She releases Inu Yasha from her grasp and he falls back onto the dusty road. She stands up and sniffs the air more intently. Sango's senses begin to pick up on a demonic presence as well as Miroku's. 

"What is it?" Kagome asks Sango. She is aware of the seriousness of the situation almost immediately. Inu Yasha sniffs the ground and upon recognizing the scent leaps to his feet. 

"Inu Yasha?" Sango calls.

"Naraku!" Inu Yasha answers back. Kirara's fur stands on end, and she growls coldly in the direction of the village they approach. 


End file.
